The Haunted Lighthouse (LiS episode)
Summary The Robinsons are just about to lift off from their doomed planet when Penny, having gone outside to fetch her scarf, is confronted by J-5, an alien boy who is the sole survivor of another world's colonizing expedition. J-5 lives in terrible fear of a creature called a "Zaybo," which suddenly appears as a lion and is destroyed by Prof. Robinson with his laser pistol. The Zaybo is actually a physical embodiment of J-5's psyche, meeting his needs for companionship and protection. The Robinsons take J-5 away with them and the boy displays an ability to help with repairs. He also shows a readiness to deploy the Zaybo such as when he thinks Will is making fun of him, but stops it after he is told the Robinsons might be able to get him home.. The Jupiter 2 encounters a space lightstation from Earth where they meet Colonel Fogey who is seemingly manning the station all by himself. He provides the Robinsons with a banquet at which he announces the station has a reserve of fuel they can use to go home. But when he tells J-5 that they don't have enough to get him home (his planet lies in the opposite direction from Earth), J-5 unleashes the Zaybo to threaten Will and even to appear to Dr. Smith as a beautiful woman. J-5 manages to get Penny onto the Jupiter 2 where he announces his intention to steal the ship with the assistance of a somewhat addled Dr. Smith. Penny convinces him that she understand he controls the Zaybo but that he only needed it because of his loneliness. Meanwhile, Colonel Fogey has admitted that he is in fact the station's handyman and that the real Colonel vanished after he left the station on a reconnaissance mission. However he is happy to have J-5 stay with him as an aide, and J-5 is happy to have a place where he can be of help to someone. The Robinsons lift off from the station, knowing the relief ship will be by in three years to pick up Fogey and J-5. Background information * When John puts on his pressure suit and leaves the Jupiter 2 to go over to the other spaceship, he is not wearing his gloves. Wouldn't he need them if he was going out into the vacuum of outer space? * While Maureen is talking to John on the radio after he leaves the ship the microphone cord is dangling disconnected. *Where did Penny get the match from? Does she carry a box of matches on her? * The computer voice over that greets the Jupiter 2 upon docking informs the visitors that, among other things, the ship launched September 18th, 1997. The true date is of course October 16th (strangely, in the later episode 'The Time Merchant' it is given correctly!). * The computer voice also says the Jupiter 2 has been lost in space two years, five months, and six days, so the date should be February 24, 2000 if the September date for launch is used. * The 'lighthouse' is the 'F-12 Fuel Barge' seen in the series 2 episode Wild Adventure. * J-5's pointy ears are the same as used by Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek'. * Since a rescue ship is on its way from Earth to the station, it seems odd that Dr. Smith gets back on the Jupiter 2 rather than simply wait it out for a guaranteed return. * The light ship is three years travel from Earth. Alpha Centauri is slightly less than 300,000 astronomical units from the solar system, so if one assumes the original trip to Alpha Centauri was five years travel time then the light ship is still within the Roche limit for our sun (about 230,000 AU) and possibly still within the Oort cloud. This last location makes sense for a weather station in a role to make spacecraft aware of comets and other space debris. However it does seem strange that after all of this time and travel on the part of the Robinsons the closest star system is the one they started from. Links and references Cast *Guy Williams as Professor John Robinson *June Lockhart as Maureen Robinson *Mark Goddard as Don West *Marta Kristen as Judy Robinson *Billy Mumy as Will Robinson *Angela Cartwright as Penny Robinson *Jonathan Harris as Doctor Smith Uncredited co-stars (alphabetical) *Bob May as the Robot *Dick Tufeld as the Robot (voice) Guest Cast *Woodrow Parfrey as Colonel Fogey. *Lou Wagner as J5. *Kenya Coburn as Zaybo (humanoid version) Category:Lost in Space episodes References External link Category:Lost in Space episodes